


A Little Release

by elletomkins



Category: The Society (TV 2019)
Genre: Abuse, Abusive Relationships, Gen, Implied/Referenced Abuse, Implied/Referenced Self-Harm, References to Depression, Self-Harm
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-17
Updated: 2019-05-17
Packaged: 2020-03-06 14:30:13
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 356
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18852958
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/elletomkins/pseuds/elletomkins
Summary: 'A child weaned on poison considers harm a comfort.' - Gillian FlynnElle finds ways to cope.





	A Little Release

He makes sure to leave marks, to brand her as his own. She makes sure that she won’t recognize them whenever she glances down.

When he embeds a c in her skin, she beats him to the punch and changes it into detach. It’s fitting because she feels detached from everyone, every emotion. She only knows fear and complete numbness with Campbell being the only form of human contact she knows. She thinks of all the people she wants to see, all the people that she could put in danger by doing or saying something campbell doesn’t like. Helena, Allie, the other residents whose names seemingly go in one ear and out the other. 

Every time he brands her with a new mark, on her hip or her thigh, places where nobody would see them except for him, she carefully lists the phrases she could carve. At first it stung, Elle’s not gonna lie. Opening up your skin, seeing red flash before your eyes, it’s a new kind of pain. But it’s also a new kind of release. All the sadness, anger, guilt, and tears she had been burying deep down come out pouring into her skin. 

During sex, he’s anything but gentle and her wounds flare, she quite possibly feels like a fire has been lit inside her, and not in a good way. Anytime his gaze snaps over to her skin, she distracts him with the flick of her hand and he’s moaning her name and things are suddenly okay. 

For a moment she can pretend nothing is wrong, that maybe this is all some sort of dream and an alternate Campbell exists somewhere, one that does truly want to keep her safe. But then he’s finished with her, with her body, and she’s left feeling utterly cold against the sweat covered sheets. 

When she’s sure he’s sound asleep, she slips out of bed and into the bath. Her razor is becoming a necessary evil. Her vision blurs and she lets out a sigh of relief when the clear water turns a murky red. 

It’s the only time she feels any semblance of control. 


End file.
